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Friday, October 31, 2008

This is unconfirmed, but I hear the next single is "Dirty Dancing". It was played on 106.9 KZY Gainesville, FL so I'm guessing that is a sign it is the next single. So call up your local radio station to request it!

……bring it on! Do you all agree that with age comes wisdom? I wouldhowever take back my 20 year old body and keep my 40 year old mind! Wewill be in Mexico working around my birthday. I will have to put offthe big bash I have planned until I have a break in December fromtouring. I am flying a few friends down to Mexico to spend a few daysof rest with me…………big party to follow when I get back to thestates. I’m sure there will be plenty pictures to post online.

Ps. If you are planning on sending me a gift, I would rather you donateyour time or money to a local charity of your choice. I am more thanblessed when it comes to material things. Warm wishes mean more to methan anything else!

* Who’s idea was it to do the butt?

Well for sure it wasn’t mine….. Don’t really know where or how itcame about…….ok lets just thank Danny for that one!

* Where do you practice Real Estate?

I was never a broker or salesperson if that’s what you meant…….Ihave two real estate development companies I started one with a friendof Jordan and I shortly after I left the New Kids. We build residentialbuildings. If you look closely at theSummertime video you will see him in the background in the tiki barscene. We thought it would be funny putting him in there. In the past we have had otherfriends and family of the group make cameo’s.

*On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate Jordan as a brother, and why?

He would be high off the charts……..most of my entire life has beenspent with him on a daily basis. We have the closest relationship twosiblings could ever have! I also think he is one of the most talentedpeople ever! Jordan also has the best sense of humor. We laughed at thepicture of his doll in the hospital gown with the taped up leg, afterthe Jordangate incident!

*What do you think about YouTube?**************************************

I think some of the stuff that gets posted on there is a waste of goodcyberspace. I personally don’t like it when it becomes an invasion ofyour privacy. I will never feel comfortable having a candidconversation in a crowd in public because you never know who is tapingyou and where it will end up. I am afraid to even scratch my a** if it getsitchy or pick my nose in public. It will be forever on You Tube. We allare human and get itchy a** and booger nose……….I don’t feelmy personal private moments need to be shared with the rest of theworld?………and yes I check you Tube on a regular basis for such moments.So far so good…..thanks for not posting!

* What kind of dog do you own?

I have a Jack Russell Terrier.

* How do you staying looking so young?

Well its not emu oil like someone suggested. Good lord, I saw a signtonight that read “I love Emu’s”……Ill never live this one down .And yes, Emu meat does taste good!………I guess I’m just lucky andwas blessed with greatgenes

*What color is your tractor?

Are you talking about my tractor or my “tractor”…………my tractoris a John Deere so it’s yellow and green! That’s the real tractor, getitright, don’t want you to think I have some funky stuff going ondownstairs that has my “tractor” all yellow and green…..!

* If the New Kids had a farting contest who would win?

………….are we talking about the noise or the smell. Hands downDonnie and Danny blow the nastiest smelling gas, always when you leastexpect it. WOW I’m a grown man talking about farts. I guess thisreunion really does have us all feeling like teenagers again!

*You have been all over the world, where is your favorite place?

Home is where the heart is………but I love Australia and Japan.I would love if we are able to get to both these places this timearound.

* Do you like cats?

I do but I am so allergic to them! I think the whole litter box thingis kinda sick! I am definitely a dog person!

*What is the dancers name that dances on the piano?

Her name is Sunny, she is amazing! Sunny is theassistant choreographer for the tour. She came up with a lot of themoves you see on stage. She has danced on many tours. A true talentand a great friend to us 5 guys!

* How many horses do you have?

We have 15 of them. My Mother and I love horses. She takes care ofthem. It is amazing waiting and watching the foals being born.

* What is your favorite time of day, sunrise or sunset?

Being I have the worst sleeping patterns, I often get to enjoy both ona regular basis. Sunrise is by far the better of the two!

* Do you have any good hangover cures?

Simple…….. don’t drink so much to cause a hangover

* I remember hearing a rumor back in the day about a sex tape, was ittrue?

yet another rumor, didn’t know that one was around. I’d be happy tomake one…….any volunteers. I can even include some barn yardcritters if your into that stuff…….siiiiiiiick!!!!!!

*Target or Walmart?

They both serve the purpose, but Target is usually where I end up!Didn’t think you all would be shopping at the one across from theAllstate Arena! All I wanted was some new socks……..Thank god forWalmart the next day!

* What do you do when your bored and cant sleep!

Well, I know what I will be doing for the next few weeks. Other thanthat I usually sit through all those boring late night info-mercialskicking myself for not inventing half that crap the are trying to sell!

*What is the craziest item you have received from a fan? Where can wesend stuff to you?

Like I said earlier I prefer you put your gifts to a better use, butjust in case. I love toys, warm clothes and blankets, food, schoolsupplies, etc, etc…… My address is Jonathan Knight C/O any localhospital, shelter, school, or food pantry.

*What size shoe do you wear and how tall are you?

11 and 5'11?

*What are you doing to lessen your impact on the environment?

That’s an awesome question, we all need to ask ourselves! Wow, thelist could go on and on, It’s all really just a matter of common senseand keeping yourself aware as to what you are doing that has a negativeimpact on our planet.

*I noticed that sometimes you put your glasses on and put your hoodieup when there are a lot of people around. Do you do that because allthe attention is too much and you want to distance yourself from allthose people?

Sometimes….. I try to think I can blend into the crowd and not bebothered. It gets tiring at times always being bombarded. Especiallywhen I am at our hotel. The hotel is the only place that can be likehome while on the road. Other times I may have just rolled out of bedand don’t care to show my face

* When this thing was started by Donnie did you immediately say yes ordid you have to think about it? And how long?

Well this thing wasn’t started by Donnie, he did find our first songthough! We all started this……….I didn’t say yes right away, weall discussed everything in depth before we made the choice to do areunion album and tour.

* What is the most important item you brought from home with you?

My pillow, my computer, and my cell phone!

* Do you believe in ghosts or the paranormal? Have you ever been to apsychic?

To some extent I do. It is a fact that energy never ends it justchanges form. It can’t be possible that we are the only life forms inthe universe…….been to a psychic?…….. yes, but only for my ownamusement!

My heart was racing. Minutes before the interview, I didn't know which New Kid on the Block would call.

I did Zen breathing exercises, picturing my childhood Jordan Knight doll. And my trading card. And the dance instruction video that, uh, my cousin Bethanie Dayes may have sort of purchased off television a long time ago.

What, you don't have skeletons?

My manifest Jordan yoga technique failed. Danny Wood, who once sported a rat tail and did not have my Tiger Beat heart, was on the phone.

Danny, who was super nice and has trimmed the tail, discussed their reunion tour and album, The Block. Bad boy Donnie Wahlberg even popped in with some Rays trash talk. Here are some excerpts.

I almost asked Danny to give Jordan my number. Then I remembered he had a rat tail, too.

You guys have been getting great reviews. Is it a weight off to know people are having fun?

We didn't do this to get good reviews. We did this to do a good album and to put together a great show, so the reviews are a plus, you know what I mean?

I've heard different things about bras flying on the stage. Is it different this time around playing to grownups instead of kids and teens and tweens?

It's a little different. They're a bit more, uh, a bit more . . . active. They drink during the show. It's like a girls night out.

Did it feel like riding a bike, doing the New Kids Dance?

We use some of the old moves, but most of the choreography is new. We definitely wanted people to have the flavor of the old stuff, but we wanted this to be new and fresh with what's happening today.

You guys were known for your memorabilia. What's the weirdest thing you've ever seen yourself on?

We had these creepy stuffed animal dolls that weren't out very long 'cause we had them taken off the market. . . . They were not cute. They were kind of demonlike.

Are you all bunking together?

There's three buses. Me and Donnie share a bus. It's the Baby Daddy bus. Then you have the Dark Knight bus with the Knight brothers. Then you have the Baby Baby bus, which is Joe's bus because he has his son with him and wife and the nanny and the whole deal.

You guys have had solo careers. How did splitting up and exploring your own tastes impact your musical style on this album, The Block?

Coming back together, you kind of knew we should stick to the basic formula that we had success with. Basically, doing pop records with an urban flavor to them.

Do you think you are better performers with age?

Absolutely, no doubt about it. Maturity, life experience, learning from mistakes we made in the past. Coming together to do this again, none of us were going to settle for nothing but the best. If we were going to sacrifice time away from our immediate family like my kids, I wasn't just going to come out here and do some reunion tour with a couple new songs.

Do your kids grasp the whole New Kids frenzy?

Oh yeah, they do now.

Stephanie Hayes can be reached at shayes@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8857.

Here is an article about Donnie and Celtic's player Paul Pierce from WEEI

Wahlberg Shows Another Side of PierceOctober 29th, 2008

Posted by Jessica Camerato

Over the last few years the TD BankNorth Garden had become a revolving door of new faces. Countless players came and went, as did fairweather fans who no longer wanted to support a losing cause. But there were two faces that stayed the same – a resilient captain and a diehard Bostonian, both who refused turn their backs on the Boston Celtics.

Celtics captain Paul Pierce and actor/musician Donnie Wahlberg developed a friendship during the 2002 basketball season. They shared a special bond of frustration and unmet expectations. Wahlberg wanted to resurrect his career after New Kids on the Block and Pierce wanted to win a title with the Cs. Through this common understanding, Wahlberg got to know a different side of Pierce.

“Obviously to be an elite athlete you have to have an ego, you have to have confidence, but he’s a special guy because he has humility too,” Wahlberg said during the Celtics regular season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers. “So do I and I think that’s one of the reasons why he and I get along. We’ve always shared that mutual respect even through the worst of times. I still traveled with the team, still followed them everywhere, and he never treated me any different.”

Pierce and Wahlberg decided to stick by the Celtics. Wahlberg took in games on both the east and west coasts while Pierce never asked to leave Boston. Six years later, their loyalty paid off. Wahlberg, now on a sold out comeback tour, sat courtside to watch a teary-eyed Pierce receive his championship ring.

“To see him tonight so emotional, it’s beautiful because you realize how much it really means to him,” Wahlberg said. “He’s a laidback guy so a lot of people don’t realize how much it means to him and how hard it must have been for him during some of the dark times here. It’s a lot of weight and he never came out publicly and said ‘trade me.’ He never did what all the other superstars do. He didn’t do it.”

Despite reports of Pierce living it up in Las Vegas this summer and claiming he is the best basketball player in the world, Wahlberg said he has never become big time. The only difference he ever noticed, in fact, was that of embarrassment.

“The only time he was ever different was when I could see times when he was really down when the team was really struggling,” he said. “He’d look over and he’d give me a nod and stuff but I could see he was really hurting and embarrassed too. That’s the only change he’s really had. He’s always been consistent, always been gracious, and humble, and wonderful to me.”

To show his appreciation to Pierce for bringing the world championship back to Beantown, Wahlberg invited him to join the New Kids on stage during their first concert at the Garden in 15 years. The group donned Celtics jerseys (Wahlberg wore number 34) while Pierce proudly hoisted the championship trophy in front of a packed house. Even after winning a title and NBA Finals MVP Award, Pierce was still in awe of how Wahlberg could perform under that much pressure.

“It’s the same thing – I don’t know how he gets on the free throw line in front of all the people that are watching him. But that’s Paul. He’s a humble guy,” Wahlberg said. “When we were on stage together at the show he was like, ‘Wow, I’m so happy for you,’ just the same why I was for him. I gave him a big hug after Game Six and I was just so happy for him and it’s just a good thing. It’s really cool and it’s a trip to hear him say that, but it doesn’t surprise me because that’s the kind of guy he is.”

Just as it was during Wahlberg’s return to the stage, the energy in the Garden was electrifying during the ring ceremony.

“This building has been a surreal place for me for the last year,” Wahlberg said. “Most of last season I knew there was a chance we were going to play here, I knew there was a chance the Celtics were going to play in the championship, and to actually see it all happen in just like a year’s time, it’s unbelievable. I don’t want to compare us to the Celtics in any way but to share the stage with Paul was very, very powerful for me. I’ve spent a lot of time at these games going through my own ups and downs of my career while Paul was going through his and in the last year it’s kind of been a comeback of sorts for both of us.”

In just 12 months, their six-year friendship has transformed from commiseration to celebration. The level of success has changed, but as Wahlberg says, Pierce hasn’t.

Madison Square Garden is like playing in the Super Bowl- its stilljust a show. You go out and do your thing; give it your best shot,execute what you’ve practiced and hit it. But at MSG every move andsong is heightened. You are soaking up every moment but constantlyaware that you are in “the world’s most famous arena”. Its a placethat for many fields is a pinnacle and in the music business it isviewed by many as the coolest place to play. Playing there, I think ofthe location- right in the heart of Manhattan, close to “Broadway”…I lived in NYC for ten years and walked by so many many times, beenthere a bunch- during basketball games the court is illuminated in suchan inimitable way there…such theater. And of course, I had performedthere with the “Kids” before and at 16 I knew it was special. Andmaybe for the first time, the younger me enjoyed it more cuz I wasn’tthinking so much then. Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast and now Ihave another photo album of memories in my heart. But I left thatnight wanting more- like it was half-time instead of the end of thegame.

Walking down the back stage hallway, lined with photos with so muchhistory, so many great artists.Such a privilege, I’d be a fool to wish for another.

They're just nice guys! The New Kids on the Block – Joey McIntyre, Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg – greeting fans, signing autographs and snapping pictures outside their Chicago hotel. The group stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel during their Windy City tour stop, and were equally sweet with the hotel staff. Another sweet spot, according to a source: The guys also loved the mini-bars in their rooms and snacked on candy during their stay.

When she was 17, Courtney Chavez had NK — for New Kids on the Block — inked on her lower back. By then, the band had already broken up.

No, she doesn’t regret it. In fact, the final three letters — OTB — were added to her tattoo this week in honor of the New Kids reunion.

Bands come and go, especially boy bands. Their fans age and change and jump off the bandwagon. Not Courtney. She is driving the NKOTB bandwagon. The 30-year-old Shorewood woman started loving the group and its upbeat music when she was 10, and never stopped.

The former Kids, now middle-agers with kids of their own, perform tonight at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. Tickets are still available. Courtney will be there with two longtime friends who shared her crush and still kinda do, Alexis Camacho and Katrina Bielinski.

“We were going to marry the New Kids, live next door to each other, and have a tunnel between the two houses,” said Alexis, whose last name was Blair back when the girls were plotting that glorious future. She’s now 29 and married with children.

Katrina (then Katrina Vega; she’s also married and has a baby and one on the way) was holding Courtney’s hand when she got that first tattoo.

“It was at this guy’s house. He was trying to be a tattooer,” Katrina said. Coincidentally, Katrina, 32, is now a tattoo artist, and she finished the job on Courtney’s back Tuesday at Atomic Tattoos on the east side.

Mania was widespread when New Kids on the Block caught fire in the late 1980s. The clean-cut boys from Boston — Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre, Jordan Knight and Jon Knight — were raking in more dough than Oprah Winfrey and Madonna.

In 1990, they performed twice at the Bradley Center and two shows at Alpine Valley to huge crowds. Demand was so high that one Wisconsin woman shaved her head and wore a diaper to win four concert tickets from a radio station.

On the North Shore, Courtney and her friends couldn’t get enough of the craze. Their shared passion was a strong bond at an age when girls are discovering boys. The singing and synchronized dancing made them shriek and sob, even as their moms sat nearby at the live shows.

“It was every concert. It was every T-shirt, button, sleeping bag, posters on our walls and Cabbage Patch dolls that we named after the New Kids,” Courtney said.

“Every song was how they love you and would be there for you forever. Every girl wants to hear that,” said Alexis, who would coo goodnight to the posters on her bedroom walls.

Then the backlash hit. Rumors began spreading that the dreamy boys were lip-synching. Some kids said they were gay, or that Nirvana was cooler. The money machine that was New Kids on the Block began to sputter.

But Courtney remained faithful, despite peer pressure to reject the band. She remembers someone finding a New Kids disc in her backpack in school and fellow students mocking her by singing the hit, “You Got It (The Right Stuff).”

“She couldn’t care less what people think. That’s what I love about her,” Alexis said.

Courtney, who now has a full-time job and is in graduate school for social work, continues to follow the solo careers of the New Kids members, often dragging friends to their shows.

In 1999, she lined up at Champps Americana in Greenfield to meet Joey McIntyre at an autograph signing. He was surprised when she placed a Wisconsin license plate in front of him. It read: NKDZLVR — “New Kids lover,” and not “nakeds lover” as people sometimes guess when they pull up next to Courtney in traffic.

“I took it off the car at the restaurant, cleaned it up in the bathroom, and gave it to him. I’ve been driving around without a front license plate ever since,” she said. Joey asked her to sign it for him, which she did, and he took it with him.

Courtney also met Jordan Knight backstage at The Rave after the band’s last concert here in 1994.

But Jordan’s brother, Jon, was her favorite and her imagined husband someday. He was the shy one. At one point he left the band, but he’s back for the reunion tour and new album.

“I’m single and so is he,” Courtney said, “so it could still happen.”

Call Jim Stingl at (414) 224-2017 or e-mail at jstingl@journalsentinel.com

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Now, here’s something you won’t read on tombrady.com: The New England Patriots QB/QT’s baby mama Bridget Moynahan - presumably with 14-month-old Jack in tow - will be headed to the Hub in December to film scenes for TNT’s “Bunker Hill.”

B, who hasn’t been on the telly since ABC canceled “Six Degrees” in the spring of 2007, has scored the role of Donnie Wahlberg’s sister-in-law in the pilot about a townie named Michael Moriarty who returns to his rough Boston ’hood as a cop.

According to yesterday’s Hollywood Reporter, Bridgie will play Erin, who has a love-hate thing going on with the bro of her dead cop husband. (Moynahan will also appear as a guest star on ABC’s ‘Eli Stone’ this season, BTW.)

There’s crime, corruption and, of course, the Code of Silence in the made-for-TV drama produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.

A “Bunker Hill” shooting marathon will begin on a soundstage in Mexico City in early December, Wahlberg told the Track. Then the production heads to the Hub for exteriors. “We are working hard to make a ‘series’ happen in Boston - not just a pilot,” said the New Kid. “This is a huge endeavor and has many issues to resolve. We need the city’s help to make this dream come true.”

Are you kidding? Tom, Bridget and Jack in town for the hols? A Track dream come true!

Thursday, October 23, 2008MusicReunited and back on tour, New Kids kick it old schoolAdam Graham / Detroit News Pop Music Writer

Make no mistake: The New Kids on the Block are still hangin' tough.

Their limbs, on the other hand, are now taking things step by step.

"Oh, God, the bodyaches!" says New Kid Jonathan Knight, describing the main difference he's feeling on the band's current tour, versus the seminal boy band's late '80s-early '90s heyday. The New Kids' after parties were once every bit as lively as their energetic, highly choreographed stage show. "Now, it's funny," Knight says, "after the shows, we're all in the dressing room icing down our feet."

Knight is on the phone from Sacramento, Calif., 15 shows into the group's reunion tour, which visits The Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday. The tour is the group's first outing since 1994.

In the years since the breakup, various offers have been made to reunite Knight, his brother, Jordan, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Joey McIntyre, multi-platinum-selling teen sensations whose likenesses graced everything from dolls to oversize buttons to pillowcases -- at a time when *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys were but a twinkle in a marketing executive's eye. But none of those deals felt quite right to the group.

For years, Knight was the main holdout. He was the first one to leave the group in 1994, and revealed after the split that he suffered from panic attacks during the height of New Kids-mania. Unlike most of his fellow New Kids, Knight largely left the entertainment business behind after the breakup, settling into a relatively low-key life as a real estate developer near his hometown of Boston.

He would occasionally mention a reunion to his brother Jordan, who continued to make music and to tour, even opening up for *NSYNC in a cosmic bit of teen-pop regeneration. But nothing came to fruition until summer 2007, when Jordan called Knight. "I was at home, and he called me, and he said, 'You'll never believe who I'm in the car with' -- and then Donnie gets on the phone," Knight says. "We've all seen each other off and on through the years, but Donnie, I hadn't talked to Donnie in, like, 14 years. It was weird."

Knight -- the oldest New Kid, he turns 40 next month -- says reunion plans grew organically from there. The group wasn't beholden to any record company or management team and began to plant seeds for a reunion album and tour. They hit the studio, crafting the songs that would become "The Block," the grown-man R&B album that debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's albums chart last month. And they talked about doing a small tour of clubs and theaters, performing for 3,000-5,000 people a night, but as unexpected fan demand came flooding in, the tour ballooned to arenas.

Knight himself was as surprised as anyone. "At this time last year, I was in my office back in Boston, working on a huge condo project. A year later, I never thought I would leave all that behind and be out there riding around the country on a tour bus."

On the two-and-a-half-month North American trek -- a three-week European tour will follow in 2009 -- the two Knight brothers are sharing a bus, as are Wahlberg and Wood. McIntyre has his own bus, which he rides along with his family, who is joining him on the road.

And this time around, life is sweet. "The buses have come a long way," Knight is pleased to report, and says he's never far from the comforts of the Internet or satellite television.

After concerts, the group usually sits down and enjoys a meal together, while aiming to keep things, as Knight says, "as serene as possible."

Meeting fans who are wearing the same New Kids merchandise they were wearing when coming to concerts during their middle-school years is "awesome," Knight says. "A lot of girls are bringing pictures of themselves with us from 20 years ago. They hold them up, I look at how young I looked and how young they looked, and it's just the best feeling.

"Most of the fans say they feel like teenagers again, and this whole experience brings me right back to being 18, 19, 20, 21," Knight says.

Wow! I must admit I never expected over 2000 posts in lessthan a twenty four hour span. Looks like I’m gonna be a busy man thenext few weeks………..

I might need to write a book. Some of these questions could fill anentire chapter. Never thought so many people would have such an interest in mylife. I will start off with the easy questions and save the juicy onesfor a later date. Guess you’ll have to keep checking in from time totime to see if you got your answer. Well, here goes my answers to yourquestions. I would be unfair if I didn’t answer the first question tocome in first, so here it is……..

*Are you an Episcopalian?

Yes, Jordan and I were raised Episcopalian. Our Dad is an Episcopalianminister. Our first experiences with singing were in our church choir.

*What has been your most favorite part of this reunion?

There are so many favorites to this whole thing, I guess my favorite isthe reaction from all of you followed by having my relationship withDanny, Joe, and Donnie back on track. I love these guys like they aremy brothers. Jordan, well we have always been close!

*How has it been going from the business world to back on stage?

It was a very hard transition for me to make. I miss work so much butmy company is in great hands until I can jump back in. I have two verygreat partners and I can’t thank them enough for understanding mydesireto do this reunion. Thank god for the Internet. I began two projectslast week by having pictures sent to me on the road.

*What possessed you to buy 30 Emus?

I’ve always been a country boy at heart. I am so happy to have had theopportunity to purchase a farm during the early days of NKOTB. I loveanimals. I went through what I call my Michael Jackson phase. I had tohave anything and everything exotic as far as animals were concerned.At one time these were the animals I owned, sheep, goats , llamas, longhorned cattle, miniature donkeys, ducks, geese, chickens, pigeons,swans, horses,emus, and a cross between a donkey and a zebra. I wastold by the farmer I bought it from it was a Zedonk. Go figure! I camevery close to buying an elephant but found out they need a huge heatedbarn and a massive cement enclosure to keep them put. Needless to say,I’m glad my elephant phase passed quickly!

*Nikko?

Wow, he led the pack!! And yes that was his real name. The day hepassed away was one of the saddest moments of my life. He is buried ina special place and has a place in my heart forever!

*Coke or Pepsi?

Can’t say I like either now that I am an adult, if I do get the urgeits definitely Coke! Don’t you remember our commercial back in the day?

*”Shaved”, “trimmed”, or “au naturel”?

HA! Most men do what we call manscaping these days…….The “Tractor”is well……but definitely no bald tires……who would do that?

*Am I Happy?

Absolutely, what a great life I have! Do I seem un-happy?……….. Iwouldn’t change a thing

*Are we going to do another album and tour?

Lets get through this one first! We are all open to the idea, I guessthat’s up to you to make it happen.

*What is you and Jordan’s Nationality?

Jordan and I were born to Canadian parents. We are of English, Irish,Scottish, and German decent.

* What’s you favorite drink at Starbucks?

Well I’m not proud of my addictions, neither is Danny for that matter.He always tells me to “get off the crack”It is plain old iced coffee, large, with three Splenda, and cream!

*What ever happened to Biscuit?

While spinning around on the B stage during our show in Vegas, Ispotted him at the sound board. It was great to see him after theconcert and catch up!

If you're in Canada, there is an interview with the guys from MTV's the "The After Show" here. I haven't seen it due to not being able to view outside of Canada, so if you can view it, let me know if they say anything interesting.

HE LOVES THE '90SFrom "Hangin' Tough" to "Dancing With the Stars," New Kids on the Block have been part of pop culture in three decades. We asked reality-show veteran Jordan Knight to vote for his favorites in a smackdown of 1990s pop forces.

Backstreet Boys vs. 'N Sync

Justin Timberlake and the boys because "they were more like the New Kids. They leaned more urban and they were more fun."

Britney Spears vs. Christina Aguilera

Britney is "sexier, she's funnier and she can act really well."

"Fresh Prince of Bel Air" vs. "In Living Color"

Sorry Will Smith, but the Wayans brothers, Fly Girls and crew were a "phenomenal cast."

"Wayne's World" vs. "Dumb and Dumber"

"I'm a big Jim Carrey fan."

"Seinfeld" vs. "Friends"

Jerry and friends win "because it's more goofy or slapstick."

"Beverly Hills 90210" vs. "Party of Five"

His preferred number is "Five" because of its cast.

MC Hammer vs. Vanilla Ice

It's Hammer time: "Vanilla Ice had only one hit, and it's hard to get into someone who has only one hit because you don't know what they're about."

Mark McGwire vs. Sammy Sosa

"Neither. I don't trust either one of them."

Notorious B.I.G. vs. 2 Pac

The Massachusetts native votes East Coast because he likes Biggie's voice better.

Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Cowboys

"The Bulls for sure, for sure. I was nuts over them. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen."

JON BREAM

-----

Here is one more article with how Jordan feels about his "Surreal Life" appearance and a bunch of stuff we already know:)

Life after NKOTBBy Jon Bream, Star Tribune

Last update: October 16, 2008 - 5:04 PM

OK, Jordan Knight admits that he did "The Surreal Life" in 2001 because he was bored and looking for a career boost. "Looking back, for me, it wasn't smart," he said. "I'm not that type of personality." Here's what each of the New Kids has done since their 1994 breakup -- embarrassing or not.

DONNIE WAHLBERGAlthough he produced the 1991 hit "Good Vibrations" for his brother Marky Mark and solo albums for ex-bandmates Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight, he has mostly pursued acting, earning respect in more than 20 feature films ("Ransom," "The Sixth Sense") and several TV series and movies ("Boomtown," "Band of Brothers," "Runaway").

JOEY MCINTYREThe youngest and most versatile New Kid, he has appeared on Broadway ("Wicked"), in films ("The Fantasticks") and on TV ("Boston Public," "Dancing With the Stars"). He also released four solo albums, scoring a top 10 single, "Stay the Same," from 1999 debut; 2006's "Talk to Me" is a collection of covers.

Jordan KnightA 1999 solo album yielded the top 10 hit "Give It to You." He offered the embarrassing indie project "Jordan Knight Sings New Kids on the Block," a 2004 one-man remix CD, and 2006's "Love Songs," including a duet with Deborah Gibson. Desperate to keep his name out there, Knight was on VH1's third season of "The Surreal Life" and a judge on "American Juniors," an "American Idol" spinoff.

JONATHAN KNIGHTOn "Oprah," he revealed that he suffered panic attacks and was clinically depressed after NKOTB disbanded. He became a real estate developer in Massachusetts.

DANNY WOODHe released little-noticed solo albums in 1999 (as D-Fuse), 2003 and 2007. The tattooed, muscle-bound Wood has acted in a few movies, including "Tequila Express."

A local San Antonio website "210SA" has a Q & A with Donnie and a boy band podcast here. Thanks to Kristie for the update.

Here is the interview with Donnie:

Call it what you want, the New Kids on the Block are back. Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre and Jordan and Jonathan Knight take the stage Friday, Oct. 17, at the AT&T Center. 210SA chatted with Wahlberg, who said the group is older, wiser and better than ever.

The first question is, I’m sure, the most redundant: What inspired the reunion?

That is the most redundant question.

Sorry, I have to ask.

The stock answer is that I heard a song, and it inspired me. The true answer — I mean, I had notions (of getting back together) before, other guys too, but to actually take the step to try and see it through is the mystery part. Time and circumstance dictated that. This particular time, I was going through a lot of changes in life. The possibility of being more creative in something other than acting was calling me. And Jordan and Joe said, all right, let’s see. Once the energy was right with us three, then I put on the blinders and didn’t listen to what anyone said. I felt good about it. I think we never really resolved the group the right way.

Did everyone just sort of fall back into the same patterns?

No, it was different. It wasn’t the same old thing; I think it was better. Everyone’s approach has changed so much for the better with maturity. It’s like riding a bike in some ways. It’s very reminiscent. But it’s better than before. There are moments in the studio when Joe’s really looked at a singing part like an actor playing a part, trying to connect. He’s really trying to make it his own. The whole mentality is totally different.

You’re all older now. Has that made a difference, physically?

No. We just have to be smarter, that’s all. I can’t run around and do the crazy things I used to do when I was 20. We’re better onstage, and smarter offstage. We can’t be crazy. We’re responsible for 100 people’s jobs. There are too many people to let down. This is too special to mess up. We have to take care of ourselves.

What’s the biggest difference in the business now, versus 15 years ago?

The business is totally changed in many ways. We took a similar approach to what we did before, other than the use of the Internet — we take advantage of Internet stuff. But it’s mostly the same approach. We’re financing ourselves, going out and finding songs and writing songs and shopping around to labels. We didn’t go about it in any new way. We could have done it a lot of different ways, but I believe in partnerships. It’s more important to have a label with the best people behind us to help us make and sell a good album. We needed people who cared about making a great record the same way we did.

How’s the crowd? Have the screaming teens become screaming 30-somethings?

The crowds are unbelievable. I don’t know if I can try to describe it. I had a friend of mine, a movie producer, come to a show, and he couldn’t believe the amount of joy from the fans in that building. He was really blown away by it. I have moments in the show where I stop and look out there and am overcome every time. To be able to bring joy to so many people, especially when there’s not a lot of joy around right now, is such a gift. I look out there at those people being so happy watching me and my friends — I feel blessed, honored, privileged to be the source of that joy.

Are we going to see a revival of New Kids sleeping bags and pillowcases, or has the merchandise been dialed down a bit?

We’re keeping it simple. We could probably get away with doing some gimmicks, because the fans are coming up with some pretty crazy stuff. It’s the fans’ deal. They make incredible posters, T-shirts — it’s their way to participate. We see the signs. They’re touching. Funny. We notice them all. We’ll talk about them after the show. That’s more fun than seeing someone with a New Kids bedsheet.

Have you had a moment when you’ve thought, what the hell did we get ourselves into?

I can’t let that moment happen. There are moments when the thought’s crept up on me — but I stop it, take a breath, and let it pass. I can’t walk around with that. If there was one moment where I was worried about karma, it was at the very first “Today Show” performance. It was pouring, and we’re about to go on live TV on a stage that’s soaking wet. The first performance in 15 years, and I kept thinking, if someone falls what is that gonna mean? “They don’t have it. They’re old men, they don’t have it.” That was not the kind of karma I was looking for. But it worked out great. What are you gonna do? You just gotta go with it. That maturity prevented those moments.

Last question, on behalf of all the girls I grew up with — will you marry me?

Um. What?

Oh come on, you guys probably still get that all the time. What do you say to that?

I don’t know. I was having a conversation with a buddy not long ago, and he asked if I would marry or date a fan. I said of course. He said, really? You’d go out with some girl who stood outside for hours in the rain to meet you? And I was like, wouldn’t you want a woman who’d wait outside in the rain to meet you? That’s kind of hot. I’ve been kissing a lot of fans. I’m probably on 10,000 now. I hug everyone. The fans are the sixth New Kid. There’s no us without them.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

For Kim Carlton and Alexis Lomen, it's $375 each. That buys the 31-year-old BFFs from St. Paul a chance to meet their childhood idols, the New Kids on the Block, and sit near the stage Tuesday at Xcel Energy Center.

"I'm so excited to finally get my Donnie hug," gushed Carlton, referring to New Kids leader Donnie Wahlberg. "Having an outlet for that stupid energy you have when you're 13 is kind of important," said Lomen, who is blogging with her pal about their trips to five New Kids reunion concerts at www.projectnkotb.com. "I guess you carry that with you for the rest of your life."

Thanks to devoted thirtysomething fans like Kim and Alexis, New Kids have become the unlikely pop-music comeback of the year. Their new album, "The Block," debuted at No. 2 last month, selling 139,000 copies, and their tour of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe is the hottest-selling reunion since the Police in 2007.

"The tour is going amazing, really. It's like a time warp," said Jordan Knight, 38, once known as the cute New Kid. (Now he's the handsome one.) "It's almost the same. We're all a little older, a little wiser and we pace ourselves a little more. But it feels exactly the same."

At the height of NKOTB's popularity, a New York critic said that New Kids were selling sincerity, and sincere about selling it. From 1988 through 1990, the Boston quintet issued two studio albums, a Christmas CD and a remix album, which together sold more than 70 million copies worldwide and featured eight top 10 singles including "Step by Step" and "I'll Be Loving Your (Forever)." Back then, NKOTB played five concerts in the Twin Cities in just 14 months. They were the top-grossing show-biz act of 1990.

So what are NKOTB selling now?

"It's sincerity, it's love for what we do, it's nostalgia," Knight said before going onstage last week in Sacramento. "And we're selling good old-fashioned entertainment. Not too many gimmicks and special effects. We're five creative guys. We're not over the hill; we're in our prime. You're going to see a show that brings you back in time and is up to date. It is now and is cool and is hip."

Everyone was talking but them

There has been talk of a New Kids reunion ever since their 1994 breakup.

"MTV tried to put us back together, VH1 tried to put us back together, different record companies, different promoters," Knight said. "Everyone heard talk of it because they were trying to get us back together. [But] not 'til a year and a half ago, we all five didn't start talking about it. We weren't going to sell out for somebody else just because they're flashing an idea in front of us and saying 'You guys can make so much money.'"

Conceived by R&B producer Maurice Starr as a white version of the black vocal group New Edition, New Kids started in 1986 as mere teenagers, playing bubble-gum ballads and derivative R&B with rap touches. In 1994, after the ill-fated "Face the Music" album, they pulled the plug. Still, New Kids became the prototype for such boy bands as Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync.

Unquestionably, the key man for this year's reunion is Wahlberg, who has become a successful actor (though not as successful as younger brother Marky Mark). Executive producer of "The Block," he co-wrote nine of the 13 tracks on the CD, which features such famous guests as the Pussycat Dolls, Akon, Ne-Yo and New Edition and A-list producers Timbaland and Polow Da Don. New Kids also hired a new manager -- Irving Azoff, who works with the Eagles, Guns 'N Roses and Neil Diamond, not boy bands.

One of the concerns about the reunion is Jonathan Knight's attitude toward performing. During NKOTB's heyday, he reportedly suffered from panic attacks.

"He's doing amazing," Jordan said of his older brother. "He's moved beyond it, to tell you the truth. It's quite natural to get nervous before a show. I would say it's almost a non-issue. All we need Jon to do -- and I even tell him this -- is just get onstage and look good. That's not a slap in the face; he looks like a fricking model."

Jordan is not sure where New Kids fit in today's pop world.

"I hope to think we're making our marks," he said. "Before, it was kind of like we did it, we faded away, we left a mark but maybe it was a flash in the pan. Now, by doing this, it's really branding us as the real deal. That's why I'm glad we came back, to prove to the world that we're the real deal and to prove to the fans that they weren't crazy for believing in us and liking us."

That's music to the ears of eternal Blockheads like Lomen and Carlton.

Ed Berthiaume column: New Kids fans still chasing boys around the Block

There is one certainty when it comes to boy bands in the pop music world. They grow up.

Less certain is whether any of their once-swooning fans will continue to care as they, too, navigate the roller coaster known as adulthood.

We pondered that very question in this space a few weeks ago as the reunited New Kids on the Block released their first album in nearly two decades and set out on an arena tour that makes its way to Milwaukee's Bradley Center Wednesday. We asked readers who fell for the boys 20 years ago to tell us, do you still care?

Today we share the responses from three readers — then teens, now adults — whose answers are yes, yes and well, duh, of course.

Today's New Kids fans are in their early 30s, still refer to themselves as Blockheads and have learned to ignore the frequent pop culture ridicule that traditionally lands at the doorstep of boy bands that once dominated the pages of Tiger Beat magazine.

Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Danny Wood, Joey McIntyre and Donnie Wahlberg may not get the respect of pop culture critics — it should be noted, however, that the new album, "The Block," has been getting some surprisingly stellar reviews — but their fans still have their back.

Snicker if you will, but 32-year-old Angie Stevens of Waupaca says NKOTB was among her best memories from her early teen years.

"When I was 14 years old, the New Kids on the Block were my substitute boyfriends," she said. "I was the classic awkward teenager — braces, acne, glasses and a perm gone wrong. Worshipping the New Kids was my great escape from teenage angst."

Teri Peterson, also 32 and from Waupaca, said she already bought two versions of the new CD, downloaded all of the music from iTunes, bought five VIP tickets to the Milwaukee show and waited in line for 16 hours when the New Kids appeared recently at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

"We New Kids fans have taken a lot of criticism over the years — and, sadly, it continues still — for standing by our group," Peterson said. "When the group announced the reunion tour they made it clear that this reunion is for us, to show that we weren't crazy all those years ago."

Trisha Montalbano of Greenville is 30, married and the mother of four. But the mere mention of Donnie Wahlberg and company melts her as if she were 13 years old and jammin' to that "Hangin' Tough" album all over again.

She and best friend Kim Thompson road tripped to Minneapolis for the Mall of America appearance and spent much of the night eluding security in a successful attempt to be first in line. That got them a coveted spot in the meet-and-greet, and for Montalbano a hug from Wahlberg that she's been waiting for since her teen years.

"I was a mess of emotions the whole day — two days actually — just knowing I was going to be able to meet Donnie," she said. "Then I was forward enough to ask for a hug, and he stood up and welcomed me. Then I couldn't let go. My brain said 'let go' but my body said 'hold on, you have waited 15 years for this hug.' I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that the sight of them would completely make me lose myself."

The security guard, Montalbano notes, was very polite when he peeled her off of Wahlberg.

"You know, when people ask, 'What famous person would you like to meet someday?' Donnie was always it."

There's still a little teenager left in all of us, and those Blockheads are proud of it.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Want to see another New Kids on the Block show for only $20? I was sent this promo for the St. Paul, MN show:

You can get tickets for just $20 each by visiting this link and using the code "SINGLE" (no quotes). I did a test search and got lower level tickets in section 112.

Also, I've heard other shows have discounts (around $24 a piece!) as well. It is a deal where you have to buy a 4 pack of tickets though. Check out ticketmaster.com to see which shows offer this special.

Hey All-Three things to say……MY ARMS ARE FALLING OFF FROM ALL THE HUGS!Keep them coming!!!!!!!!!MY FACE IS SORE FROM ALL THE FACE TIME!!!!!!!I want more!!!!!MY HEART IS SWOLLEN FROM ALL THE LOVE!!!!!!!I can’t get enough!!!!!Boston, Toronto, Montreal, New York, New Jersey, Atlantic City, Connecticut have all partied like there ain’t no tomorrow!!!!!D.C., Cleveland, Chicago, and L.A. Kept the party rocking!!!! They took it to the next level!!!!!!!!Get your mind right because the party carries on!!!It’s time to free your soul and let it all go!!!!!Get at me.WE got enough love for the whole world!Take it!!!As Always Your Man,~Donnie WPS- I’m collecting kisses now too!!!!!!!! So pucker up.The party continues….

He had been a comic book character, a Saturday morning cartoon and a fixture on your kid sister's lunchbox.

Real estate was his refuge.

But with the economy being what it is these days, that's like having a safety net made of dental floss.

Still, Jonathan Knight is getting by.

As one of the original members of blockbuster boy band the New Kids on the Block, Knight has taken a hiatus from his business and returned to the road at age 39 as part of the world's reigning, um, "man band."

"There's lots of Advil taken," Knight says of getting back in performance shape, chuckling through a New England brogue. "It's been a hard transition going from my day job to my night job, but I've got good people back home taking care of everything."

And so Knight is free to moonlight with your mom, making thousands of 30-something NKOTB fans relive their junior high days when this bunch stole hearts and allowances with equal aplomb.

They notched nine straight top 10 singles beginning in the late '80s, sold 70 million albums and did more than $400 million in merchandise in 1991 alone.

If Helen of Troy was the face that launched a thousand ships, Knight and his bandmates' fresh-scrubbed mugs did something similar in the pubescent pop music ranks, spawning later-day heirs such as the Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and 98 Degrees.

But after removing himself from the fold some 14 years ago, Knight was initially a little wary about doing it all over again.

"It was definitely something I had to think about," he says. "We've talked about it off and on over the years, we'd always joke about it and stuff like that. At different times that we talked about it, Donnie (Wahlberg) was doing a movie or I was busy doing a project or Jordan (Knight) just had a kid, it was just all these factors that prevented it in the past.

"A lot of times in the past, too, it was like MTV or VH1 or just different promoters were approaching us and asking us if we wanted to do it, but the majority of the time, it was only to benefit them and not us," he continues. "So we said no to all those people. But we still had talked about it, and it just kind of seemed like the timing was right for everybody to move forward."

When Knight left NKOTB, he was wracked by panic attacks. Being swarmed by chicks is every young dude's dream, but it had turned into a nightmare for Knight.

"It definitely was overwhelming, and it was hard to find your space and time to just be you and not be one of the New Kids," Knight says. "It was different back then, because most of our fans were teenagers and their hormones were going crazy. They would do anything to get at you.

"I like it a lot better now," he adds. "We do meet and greets every day before the show, and you walk into the room, there's 200 people there, but they're not rushing you and grabbing at you. It's calm, and you can have an adult conversation with them."

If their audience has grown up, so have the New Kids. Their new album, "The Block," released last month, is slick and oversexed, with songs about macking on ladies at the local watering hole ("Put it on My Tab") and doing the grown-up in front of the video lens ("Lights, Camera, Action").

There's a bevy of guest stars on the album -- Akon, the Pussycat Dolls, New Edition, etc. -- making it sound like one big, overstuffed family reunion.

It's a decidedly different, harder-hitting album from a group that made a name for itself with playful, incandescent melodies and a light, hooky bounce.

"In the past, a lot of music and stuff was done by Maury Starr," Knight says, referring to the group's former producer. "Not to say that when we were 20 years old we didn't have any say in what kind of music made the record and stuff, but there was definitely other people telling us, 'We think you should do this.' Now, we have the final say in everything and anything we do."

And it seems to be working. "The Block" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart, and the band is selling out arenas on its much-hyped comeback tour.

All of which means that it will be a bit longer before Knight returns to hawking homes.

"This whole thing still seems so surreal to me," he says. "When we first talked about recording a new album a year ago, I expected we'd be doing theater shows and just a small tour. But it just kind of snowballed into this whole thing. It's amazing. I never in my wildest dreams would have imagined that there would have been this much of a response to this whole thing."

One of the front men for the New Kids on the Block, performing Sunday, Oct. 12, at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, he proved to be a suave and well-spoken man, with a self-deprecating sense of humor and an unexpected thoughtfulness. He was also a flirt. While usually I'm a pretty cool customer with celebrity interviews (and with men's slick lines, for that matter), I found him as charming a few weeks ago as I did 17 years ago.

Or at least I'm saying that based on a 15-minute interview with the sometimes-actor and full-time newly single dad.

Question: What's changed that made you feel it was time to tour again?

Answer: We thought there would be a market, a base of fans that would come back. We cut that video and put it out on the site. It was a careful sort of feeler, and the response was ridiculous - a million hits in a week. The fan reaction has dictated (the arena tour.) I can't not see adding another Boston date.

Q: Anything you can't do on stage now that you could back then?

A: I can do anything now that I could do back then. We're a little smoother. It used to be like we were hormone-enraged teenagers, running around stage trying to exhaust ourselves by the end of the first song, and now we take our time. It's like having rabbit sex when you're 15 and like making love when you're 35.

Q: Who spends the most time in the gym?

A: Danny (Wood). I've had to drop out a little to finish up the album.

Q: What's better this time around?

A: We're older now, all of us, and we appreciate it more. For us to be in an arena again is amazing. And for the fans, to be able to go through this experience again is amazing. They're having a meaningful experience. I mean, women are out there, working, paying a mortgage, raising the kids, and if they can escape for an hour or so a day while they listen to the CD or come to the show, it's kind of profound.

And how many times in life do you get a chance to relive something that's not awkward, but kind of liberating? It's really an emotional experience for a lot of people. You see people come in, they're a lawyer, they have a career, and they see us and just kind of loose it. It's people that you wouldn't expect it from. We're not that handsome that people should be losing it like that. But there's a connection, a happening, taking place.

Q: What's the hardest part?

A: We really worked our asses off on this project. I've averaged about four hours of sleep a night for the last year. I know I've worked really hard for this. If it's a meeting with the fans for two hours, or out on the stage, I'm giving it all. When we finished the first time, I had some regrets, there were things I wanted to do over. So I'm giving everything I have to it so I won't have any regrets.

Q: Any fashions you regret?

A: My hair, my ponytail, my mullet, my ripped jeans, it's all cringeworthy. We (dress) with a little more consideration now. I still rock my own style the way I want to, but I'm not going to go too far outside the box. In the past, it became a group of five totally unique individuals going to a black-tie affair, with one in a tux, one in a suit, one in a sweatshirt, one in jeans and boots. I think we lost a cohesiveness.

Here is an interview with Jordan from cleveland.com. There is both audio and text parts...

New Kids on the Block went their separate ways in 1994. Now they're back with a new album, "The Block," and a tour. Jordan Knight, 38, gave us a call this week from aboard the group's bus.

Q: How does it feel to be together again? Is there a sense of deja vu, or does it feel different?

A: We're feeling both new and nostalgic. And I think the crowd is also getting that same vibe. We are reliving memories, but we're also doing new songs and doing new things onstage.

Q: Who comes to the shows?

A: Definitely lots and lots of old fans. . . . Also younger fans [who] have seen our videos and stuff on VH1 and MTV and heard the stuff on the radio. And old fans who are married now, their husband and their brothers are coming. Before it was very uncool for a male to come to our show. Now, people are more mature and grown-up, where they don't have to be as cool, really. They can say, "Hey, I like the guys. Whatever. I'm going to the show."

Q: Presumably, your individual musical tastes have changed over the years. How did you find common ground when recording the new album?

A: We knew what worked for us in the past, and that was pop music that leans R&B and urban. . . . We just stuck with what worked.

Q: Is it fair to say you couldn't have done songs like "Grown Man" or "Sexify My Love" 15 years ago?

A: That's probably safe to say. We couldn't use some of the lyrics that we're using now. And rightly so, I think. We were young. We weren't as mature, obviously, as we are now. . . . We were just figuring out sexuality ourselves. To sing it to a younger audience, that wouldn't be good. We knew that. We knew the age group that we were singing to, and we were cognizant of that, and respectful. Now, we're just naturally singing about where we're at it in life and where we believe our fans are at in life.

Q: When NKOTB had its heyday around 1990, the U.S. was in a recession. Now you're back and the country is once again in the midst of a financial crisis. Coincidence?

A: I think it's a coincidence. It may not be, but I don't have that wide view of things. New Kids do good in recessions. It's a joke that we throw around. Another joke is that we're trying to do our best to kick-start the economy by going out here and touring and getting money flowing around. . . . That's our part in trying to solve this problem.

The New Kids on the Block aren't so new anymore. They aren't kids either. But their new album is called The Block. Yes, the former pinups from Boston are back after a 15-year hiatus. Reportedly, fans are flocking to arenas throughout the country to see if the New Kids, who are creeping toward middle-age, still have the right stuff. Singer Danny Wood recently spoke about the tour via phone from a stop in Long Island. Why come back?

I didn't expect this to happen. I just wanted to make a good record. It's all just a blessing.

Why are you still called New Kids on the Block?

It's just the name we're associated with. It would be really foolish to call ourselves something else. The Beach Boys didn't change their name, and they're hardly boys.

All right, Sonic Youth didn't change their names either, but who cares about a name? It's all about the girls. Are the girls still as crazy and desperate as they were for you guys 20 years ago?

I would say it's not the same. The girls are older, just like we're older. They're responding to the performance, as opposed to just screaming at anything like they used to.

What's the craziest thing a girl did to get close to you guys during your heyday?

I remember in South America, there were girls who were climbing on top of our van, trying to get in. We were in some crazy situations. But when we started this thing again, I said, "Do you think any of these girls will be chasing our bus?" And yes, we're in Montreal, and girls are chasing our bus.

You're pretty tough. You guys are the toughest boy band, right?

Is that saying much? "We're the toughest boy band." That's ridiculous. We are from Dorchester [a gritty Boston suburb]. We got bussed to schools in which we were the only white kids.

When you say we….

I mean NKOTB Donnie [Wahlberg], who has been my friend since the first grade. We didn't grow up rich.

But now you are, and why are you back? That goes double for Donnie, who has done well in films.

Donnie played us a copy of "Click Click Click." He had just finished the movie [Righteous Kill] with [Al] Pacino and [Robert] De Niro, and he was excited about what was going on with our band. Me and Donnie have been friends for so long that I usually follow his lead, and we all got excited about the project.

There were boy bands before you guys, but it felt like you guys were the prototype.

Before us, there was the New Edition, who we idolized. Then there were the Jackson 5 and the Osmonds, but the thing is that so many boy bands came out after us. They all seem to follow a formula. They had to have the heartthrob, the young, cute one, the tough guy. You had all these auditions to fill slots for boy bands after us. There were only about eight guys that auditioned for New Kids. It wasn't like there was a plethora of white boys who wanted to sing and dance in a boy band. Back then, that wasn't too cool in 1986.

What are you doing when you're not a New Kid?

I invested in a private-jet company, Halcyon Jets. We did $40 million worth of business last year. I'm vice president of sales. It's great for me, because I run into a lot of people that fly private.

How are your beloved Red Sox going to do in the playoffs?

They're going to win the World Series. It'll be the Red Sox versus the Cubs. A lot of people want the Tampa Bay Rays to get to the Series, because they're the new kids.

Before the New Kids were New again, Donnie Wahlberg was shopping around a pilot now called “Bunker Hill” about a Townie-turned-covert-operative who returns to the ’hood as a cop. There’s corruption, the Code, you know the drill.

This week, TNT, the cable crew behind “The Closer” and “Raising the Bar,” ordered up a pilot from Wahlberg and his partner Jon Avnet, who just directed Donnie in “Righteous Kill” with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.

TNT is expecting to have the Donnie pilot, formerly known as “Morse Code,” in its new show lineup by the end of the year. But Wahlberg is touring with the New Kids in the U.S. and Canada until just before Thanksgiving.